The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: While working on Restiaceae ¶ I revised also the few New Zealand species, and found that the supposed third species of ¶ Calostrophus ¶ is a new ¶ Lepyrodia ¶ , by which means your flora gets a ne...

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73.07.00a

Plant names

Calostrophus elongata
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Calostrophus lateriflorus
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Cyperaceae
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Glumaceae
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Lepyrodia
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Restiaceae
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Restio
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to James Hector, 1873-07 [73.07.00a]. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id//letters/1870-9/1873/73-07-00a-final.odt>, accessed May 15, 2026

Letter not found. The text given here is from the Proceedings of the meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society held on 18 August 1873 (Transactions and proceedings of the New Zealand Institute , vol. 6, p. 384 (B74.06.02). The item is dated to July 1873 as the latest likely date it could have been sent and read at that meeting.

While working on

B73.08.01, pp. 64-101.

I revised also the few New Zealand species, and found that the supposed third species of Calostrophus is a new , by which means your flora gets a new and interesting genus. Unfortunately Mr. Travers brought only male flowers. Can you kindly see whether, in your set of this plant, perhaps female specimens with capsules occur.

In his treatment of traversi (B73.08.01, p. 79), M describes male flowers but notes that he has not seen female flowers.

Or, failing this, would Mr. Hunt, or any other settler, procure the female plant, which is easily found, as the species is conspicuous and probably common. I fancy, that still other exist in New Zealand territory, and I would beg much that you will be so kind as to secure for me early samples, also any . They will then be utilized by me, while I go on with the elaboration of the for the 7th vol. of the Australian flora.

Bentham (1863-78), vol. 7.

I shall, also, during this elaboration, attend to all the from the Chatham Islands. The issue of a separate publication on Mr. Travers' last plants is an impossibility here now. So I will send any manuscripts thereon from time to time on to yourself. As soon as I get the female flowers of the I will send a diagnosis for publication in your new volume.

See M to J. Hector, December 1873 (in this edition as 73-12-00a).

It may interest you that the of New Zealand has to change its name, as it is quite distinct from Labillardière's original plant. I have only this month recognized the true plant, gathered nearly 80 years ago by Labillardière in the south of Tasmania, and only (until now) known by his plate.

Labillardière (1804-6), vol. 2, p. 78 and tab. 228; see discussion in B73.08.01, p 86.

As R. Brown has named the Calostrophus, common in Australia and New Zealand, lateriflorus, I have given your plant the name .

R. Brown (1810), p. 247; B73.08.01, p. 87.

The genus is widely different from Linne's , and belongs to the nucular, not the capsular, tribe of the order. All for accurate diagnosis should have perfectly ripe fruits.